A replica of the Indian landmark Taj
Mahal is seen under construction at Narayanganj district, some 30
kilometers northeast of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh, Dec. 9, 2008. A
Bangladeshi film-maker built a replica of the Taj Mahal inspired by
neighbouring India’s famous monument. (Xinhua/Qamruzzaman)

NARAYANGANJ, Bangladesh, Dec. 9 (Xinhua) — A replica
of Taj Mahal which is still under construction opened to the public Tuesday in
Bangladesh’s Narayanganj district, about 30 km southeast of capital Dhaka.

Ahsan Ulla Moni, owner of the replica, said he was
inspired by Taj Mahal in India when he first visited there in 1980 and had the
idea to build one in Bangladesh.

Moni invested 4 billion taka (about 57 million U.S.
dollars) to build a film city in his hometown in Narayanganj, covering an area
of 50 acres (about 20 hectares). Replica of Taj Mahal, which covers an area of 4
acres (about 1.6 hectares), is part of it.

UNITED NATIONS, Dec. 16 — The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize nations to conduct military raids, on land and by air, against pirates plying the waters off the Somalia coast even as two more ships were reportedly hijacked at sea.

The vote represented a major escalation by the world’s big powers in the fight against the pirates, who have disrupted commerce along one of the world’s most active sea routes and acquired tens of millions of dollars in ransom. It came as China — which has had several ships commandeered in recent months — said it is seriously considering joining U.S., European and Russian warships policing the region.

Rice said the United States would help establish a contact group of governments to share intelligence and to coordinate naval and military operations in the region.

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